Spray cleaner



A. E. MILLER SPRAY CLEANER Sept. 18 1945.

Filed June 28. 1941 I u "I v n 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR s p 1945- A. E. MILLER 2,385,150

SPRAY CLEANER Filed June 28, 1941 z'shets-sheet 2 l 63 55 I i l x I :s s 4, 47 s;

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Figure '7.v is an enlarged detail .along linel-I of Figure 6.

Patented Sept. 18, 1945 NI ED STATES OFFICE ,Arthur E. Miller, Basalt), N. Y1, assignor to Visco- Meter Corporation, Buflalo, N. Y., a corporation of cw York -Application June 28, 1941, seri l-madam 1Claim. (c1; 141ml .This invention relates to a unitary'washing machine for use in service stations and garages for the purpose of removing dirt, grease, oil, and the like from engine and other automobile parts.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of' the character generally described which is economical, rapid and highly effective in operation and which'reduces fire hazard to a minimum.

- A still further object is to provide for facility in introducing into the machine and in removing from the machine the parts to be subjected to the action of the cleaning fluid."

A still further object is a machine wherein provision is made for directing, at will, a high I velocity stream or jet of the cleaning fluid against any areas of the parts to be cleaned which, owing to their location or the characterof the ad,- hering material, may require a more severe cleaning action than they would otherwisereceive. V

.A still further object is to provide a machine whichis simple and compact in design, troubleproof in operation and which, when desired, may be cleaned with facility. e

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l-isj a longitudinal section through a machine embodying the features of the invention, the cover being shown in an open position. 1

Figure 2 is an end elevational view. I Figure 2a is a horizontal section taken along line Za-Za of Figure l. i Y

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectionalwiew taken along line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 isa detail section 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure-5 is a similar section taken along line 5-5of,Figure2. Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse section 1 through the machine, the cover being shown in its closed position.

taken along line section taken Figure 8 is a similar 88 of Figure 1.

.The machineyas illustrated, includes a tank H) which is preferably mounted upon astand section taken along line l I, the rim of the tank being reinforced by angle members I2. Each of the latter is welded or otherwise secured to a side wall of the, tank so that one of its flanges extends horizontally across thejtop edge of the said wall. The tank prefer ably includes a cover I 3 which carries corner pieces 14 on itsv under side. Whenclosed the marginal edges of the cover seat upon the horizontal flanges ofthe angle members I2 while the corner pieces I 4 extend into the tank and engage. the, side walls thereof. In its open position-(Figure 2) the back edge of the cover seats upon: rests 15 which are carried by the angle member/l2 at the back of the tank, a chain l6 whichconnectsthe angle member l2 at the front of the tank and the front edge of the cover cooperating with the rests l5 to hold the cover in its open position and entering the tank when the cover is closed. a a

M A header I! which is mounted adjacent and just below the top edge of the back wall 18 of the tank carries branch pipes M. The latter extendat right angles with respect to the header andin turn carry spray heads Ml-which extend at right angles with respect to the branch pipes, the spacing and angularity Of the branch pipes preferably being predetermined so that when they are substantially horizontal, as illustrated inFigure 6, the spray heads will be directed downwardly, will be located substantially midway between the front and back walls of the tank and will -be substantially equally spaced with respect toone another and the end walls. 7 'Ifheputer end'of the header is mounted in a bearing-block 2| while the inner end is connected by a union 22 (Figure 7) with one branch 23 of-anelbow 24, the inner end of the header being threaded to receive a sleeve 25 of the union while the end of the elbow branch 23 is threaded to receive a companion sleeve 26. A flange 21 on the end of the sleeve 25 is engaged by a flange 28 on one end of a ring 29,- the opposite end of the ring being internally threaded and being screwed upon the outer externally threaded end of the; sleeve. 26.- A packing washer '30 is preferably located between the adjacent ends of the sleeves;.2 5 and 26, the ring 29 being tightened to cause the ends of the sleeves to engage the washer with a pressure adequate to prevent leakage at the joint thus providedand being locked to the sleeve 16 by aset-screw 3|. The union ,22, however, is adapted to permit angular adiustment of the header about'its axis to move the branch pipes; I 9 either to a substantially horizontal positionor to a substantially vertical posiltion and isfso adjusted that the frictional enextending through a seal 4| carried by a face plate 42 of the cage 38 into the working ber 43 of the pump and carrying the impeller Mofthelatter.

of the pump passes through an opening 45 in the end wall 33 of the tank and "is con'necte'dby an elbow 41 to a vertical inlet pip 48, the latter v 20 advantage obtained is that free passage through comprising two sections which are connected by a union 48m. A filter unit 4 T is carried by the lower end of the lower section of theiinlet pipe. It is immersed a body of cleaning "fluid 50 in the bottom of the tank and includes an invertal shell 5| which ts su ported-in spacedrelation with respect to the bottom of-th'e tank and which hasinner and outer screens 52 and 53, re'spectively," suitably secured across its open end, the screen 52 being of relatively coarse mesh 'andthe screen 53 being or a relativel :fine mesh and the two being reinforced by a Z-shaped strip '54 arranged edgewise between them andtne top wall of the shell. Below the filter 'unit the bottom wall of the 'ta lik is ier-med with a diain'age out 'let 55 which-is closed by a removable plug 56.:

A ialsebottom- :for the tank is provided by perforated sheet metal sections 51 an'd'58 which are carried upon a rectangularly shaped frame 59 The latter has transverse bers 5 90 extending between its longitudinally extending members and-isprovided with legs 6b and enawhlch rest upon the bottom of the tank and support the false bottom above the l'evelof the lbo'dyof clean ing fluid. One end of the sheet section 58 rests upon the adjacent endfo'f the companion section while the opposite end is cut away-as -n1dlca;teu at Bl in F-i'giue 2d, to accommodate the inlet pipe 48'. An angle piece 6 2 is "carried by the under side of the section 58 cooperates with adjacent cross-bar tea of the frame 59 to prevent the said section from accidentally or'uniritentionally sl-idi-ng back upon the companion section,

the section 58 being removabletc provide access to the filter which may be disconnected by unscrewing the union 48a; r

Preferably there are'fthree of the legs 50 and two of the legs film. f'rhe former are weldedbr otherwise secured to the back longitudinal in'erirber of the frame 'while one of the legs li'lla'is secured a similar manner to each of the ehd frame members relatively close to but spaced from the -"front longitudir'ial frame member. has the advantage that when it is desired to remove the frame *from the tank it is only "necessary to gras'p'the front longitudinal name memboxand lift it, the space between the legs 50a and the front wall or "the tank being ample to accommodate the arcs described-by the lower ends of the legs as the "front part f the frame is lifted and withdrawn in advan e or the" back part; Introductionof the frame into the tank is likewise'faciltated the construction described. I

e casing f the'valve55 has "a braiichf'GB (Figure '3) which extends through an opening 6"! in the end wall 33 of the tank and is connected by an elbow 65 and a nipple B6 to a hose 61, the free end of the latter carrying a nozzle 68 which when not in use may be inserted through one 5 of the perforations in one of the sections of the false bottom. The rotatable plug 69 (Figure 5) of, the valve is formed with radial passages and may be angularly adjusted by a lever H to one p osition in which the outlet side of the pump 10 is placed in communication with the header l1 and to a second position in which the outlet side placed in communication with the hose 61. It preferred that the impeller 44 of the pump be formed with a substantial running clearance so y l 1115 thattheiplug 69 of the valve 35 may be moved A pipe 45 (Figure 3) leading to the inlet side through, or permitted to remain at, the off position between the two on" positions described without the necessity of shutting off the motor toavoid injury to it or the pump. A further the pump isuthus provided for the solid particles which mayxpass through the filter unit.

xIn 'the use of the machine the cover is opened and the spray heads are swung upwardly out of the way as illustrated in Figure 2. The part or. parts to be cleaned may then be introduced into the 'tankwithout any interierence from the spra} "heads. and placed-upon the false bottom. The cover may then be closed, or left open if desired, and' the motor star-ted. Assuming the control lever of 1 the valve 'to occupy a position at right angles, in a counter-clockwise direction, with respect to the position shown, cleaning fluid will-be withdraw-h from the bottom of the 35 tank, :fil'tered, and discharged .trom the spray "heads upon the parts to be cleaned. If during this operation it should appear that certain areas of the said parts require 'amore severe action the "control lever of the valve may be adjusted '40 -to connect the pump to the hose 6-1 and the latter may be manipulated to direct a high velocity streanior jet against such areas. In this connection it will be noted that the .pump 3-! is located above the level of the body of cleaning fluid in the tank hence must be :prim'e'd the first time the machine is used. This may be accomplished conveniently, however, merely by tipping the tank to :asui-talfle angle to causeithe cleaning fluid to enter the pump by gravity. v Thereafter .pr immg will not be required as adequate fluid for this purpose will always remain in working chamber. The level "of the 'chargelof priming fluid which remains in the pump after each operatiti'n will bebelow the level'lat it is possible for it to escape past the' s'eal 4 l; leakage of the cleaning fluid around the motor shaft will be prevented.

The machine described has the further advantage that when the motor -is off after eachuse the cleaning fluid in the piping and a substantial part 0f the fluid in the -pump will flow rapidly in a reverse direction through the inlet pipe 48 and the nlter unit to clear the screens 52 and 53 of any solid materials which may have accumulated upon them; such material settling to the bottom of the talrik. Frequ'ent cleaning of the "-fi'l ter element is, therefore rendered unnecessary It will also :be apparent that the machine is "economical to operate owing to the small quantity of cleaningfiuid required, Moreover, the cleaning nuirl being filtered prior to its delivery "to the spray heads and hose is not permitted 'to become less effe'ctive 'wit'h continued use, it being noted in this connection that as the parts to-be cleaned ere not immersed in the body of cleaning fluid the latter will remain more or less quiet with the result that the greater portion of the solids will settle permanently upon the bottom of the tank and will not remain in suspension. .A further advantage obtained is that loss of the cleaning fluid as a result of spatter and vaporization is minimized.

I claim as my invention:

A unitary washing machine for the removal of dirt, grease, oil, and the like from engine and other automobile parts comprising a tank having aperforated false bottom in a horizontal plane upon which the parts to :be cleaned are supported, the space below the false bottom constituting a reservoir for the cleaning fluid, a motor driven pump mounted externally upon a wall of the tank, and having an inlet pipe connection to said reservoir and an outlet pipe connection terminating externally of the tank, two pipe connections extending through a wall of the tank, a valve casing connected to the outlet connection of the pump and said two pipe connections, a

valve in said casing for establishing, at will, communicatien between the outlet connection of said pump and either of the said two pipe connections, a pipe Within the tank located suitably above said false bottom and equipped with means for spraying cleaning fluid upon the parts supported upon said false bottom, a coupling between said pipe and one of said pipe connections, said coupling including a swivel joint to permit turning movement of said pipe upon its axis in order that the spraying means may be positioned for operation or placed in a non-operative position in which the parts upon which the cleaning fluid acts may be placed upon or removed from said false bottom, a flexible hose within the tank connected to the other of said two pipe connections, and a discharge nozzle carried by said hose at its free end, the discharge nozzle being available to direct a concentrated jet of cleaning fluid upon any of the parts supported upon said false bottom.

ARTHUR E. MILLER. 

